All You Need to Know Before Bringing a Dog Home
Loved by children and adults alike, dogs are not man’s best friend for nothing, whether they are a playmate, a comforting presence, or a true house-sitter. However, the arrival of a dog at home cannot be improvised, whether in terms of food, hygiene, health, or even administrative formalities.
This site will help you, in all independence and with simple words, better understand and choose well…
Understanding dogs
Ask yourself the following questions:
What does a dog understand, and how? What is our relationship with him? Where does he come from, and should we compare him to the wolf? Indeed, domestication has made it a species in its own right. How does it develop? We often talk about a dog that dominates or needs to be dominated: is this true? Is it a friendly and territorial animal? Does the dog have to chew? What disorders can it present and why? How to observe and analyze him? To appreciate your dog, take the time to understand him for what he is, without projecting human schemas on him, as ethology teaches.
Read more: The Dog and Its Territory: Proxemics
Choosing your dog
Choosing a dog is a big decision because it will be with you for the next 10 to 15 years on average. Which breed of dog should you choose based on its characteristics? Do you prefer a male or a female dog? Why do you buy a dog? Are there any special requirements for the different categories of dogs? It will help if you ask all these questions in advance to make the right choice.
Where to buy a dog?
Once your little companion has arrived home, all that’s left to do is find a name for him or her! You can buy a dog from a breeder, a private individual, or in a pet shop. It is also possible to adopt a dog from a shelter.
14 essential points to know before adopting a dog
1. Dog health
Knowing the health of your dog is vital to ensuring its well-being. This also includes diet, hygiene, the stages of reproduction, treatment of its diseases, the prevention of intoxications, and emergency care.
2. The dog’s diet
A dog’s diet is essential to its good health. What to choose between food or kibble? Is it better to choose homemade food or BARF? The age and condition of the dog will also affect its diet. Thus, a puppy’s diet must be monitored and allow for the transition to weaning, while you must adapt an older dog’s diet to his digestion and dentition in particular. Finally, the diet of pregnant bitches must be closely monitored.
3. Dog hygiene
Bathing your dog is essential to carry out the necessary hygiene care for its well-being. Some breeds also need professional grooming.
4. Breeding your dog
If you wish to breed your dog, you will have to follow the heat of your bitch, monitor the progress of the mating, then the gestation, and finally the whelping. Reasonable anticipation of all the steps will allow you to have puppies safely for the mother and the puppies. If you do not wish to have a litter, it is also possible to opt for sterilization.
5. Dog diseases
The best way to prevent dog diseases, especially infectious diseases, is to vaccinate your dog. Parasites can also transmit serious diseases. It is therefore essential to treat your dog with an antiparasitic. Finally, hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis are joint diseases that dogs often suffer from, which can be disabling. They must be closely monitored. Also, like humans, dogs can be victims of lymphoma, a cancerous tumor of the lymphatic system.
Read more: Does Your Dog Suffer From Coprophagia?
6. Dog poisoning
Dogs can be victims of numerous intoxications by food, plants, chemical products, and animals.
7. Emergency care for dogs
You should know how to react and get prompt treatment for an injury, a heart stroke, a twisted stomach, and more in an emergency.
8. Education of the dog
The dog’s education is essential to living in harmony with the family: learning cleanliness and solitude, walking on a leash, managing aggressive and destructive behaviors. These are all points that need to be treated quickly. For this, it is crucial to understand how the puppy develops. In addition, the cohabitation of the dog with children or other animals is essential to prepare the animal to adapt to its environment.
9. Accessories
Your dog needs some essential accessories like a bowl, dog house, crate for transport, collar, leash, harness, medal, basket for his comfort and life in your home. You can also equip your dog with a coat. This way, he will be ready to travel!
Read more: The Handy Dog Accessory: Dog Poop Scoop.
10. Formalities
Dog owners are subject to a few formalities: papers, identification, civil liability insurance are mandatory for all dogs. Owners of purebred dogs have, in addition, other steps to take.
11. Dog’s activities
You can share many activities with your dog, like walking, playing with toys, entering a dog show.
12. Dog sports
It is possible to practice many dog sports allowing us to share a passion for sport and a moment of collaboration—for example, competitive sports like snow, water, herding, hunting, and more.
13. Price of a dog
The price of a dog and its food and health budget depends on many factors (breed, popularity, size of the animal…).
14. Who to contact?
Finally, the veterinarian and the dog behaviorist are the two most appropriate professionals to help you with health or behavioral problems.
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